Path to Slytherin
by rhead-a-holyc
Summary: [Sci-fi!AU] Searching for Hermione and Ron, Harry finds a little more than he expected.


Harry's eyes rose from where he had been staring at the dancing flames. Night had long since fallen and dawn was rapidly approaching, but Harry knew he would not be able to fall asleep. Not tonight, not when both Hermione and Ron were captured by Voldemort's creations.

He didn't move as Luna sat on the log next to him, her bright yellow sun dress looking oddly out of place next to his thick and heavy clothing. Harry knew that Luna had everything she needed for their mission despite her mission. She was the smartest of them all, knowing how to use the most innocent of things as weapons no one else had even thought of. Luna said that everything she needed would be at their destination, and Harry trusted her judgement. She had yet to be wrong.

Her mysteriousness had been something that never allowed Hermione to warm up to the blonde girl. Her quirks were what Ron had never seemed to be able to look past, yet her she was. Luna was willing to put her life in danger to find and rescue two people who didn't trust her, and Luna hadn't bothered explaining beyond stating that she _was_ going with him.

"We're close," Luna said, reassuring him without being asked. They had been wandering for days, trying to stay out of sight while edging into enemy territory, but the sand and grass was giving way to cobblestone and they would be reaching the city soon.

The City of Salazar, capital of Slytherin, and the location of the headquarters of Voldemort. Voldemort's founder was rarely seen, preferring to send his army of automatons instead. The automatons were startlingly human in their appearance, but lacked empathy, making them frightfully effective in everything they were ordered to do.

"I know, Luna, but I can't help thinking that we may be too late, or unable to free them after coming all this way. Perhaps even we will be captured in the effort," Harry said sighing heavily.

"We won't," Luna said, nudging Harry's shoulder, "After all, we have the only person able to change the commands on those automatons."

That was what made Harry different: his metal arm. The arm had been a part of him for as long as he could remember, an extension of himself whose origin he was unable to explain. His parents' friends said it had been joined to him after an accident that had shattered his hand when he was a baby. Harry thought there was more to the story, but not another detail passed through either Remus or Sirius's lips.

"And we have the only person who can find weaknesses in everything she lays her eyes on," Harry teased back as his mood lightened.

 **…oOo…**

The city was everything the whispers had described it to be. Glittery windows showed their unkept forms with embarrassing precision. They looked utterly out of place among the brilliant white buildings, and the automatons that walked around in steady strides. Their very presence made Harry uneasy as he had always been surrounded by humans. Gryffindor had never subscribed to the automatons. The fact that it had been created by a Slytherin didn't help their apprehension.

Harry didn't know where he was going, his sense of direction lost among the unnatural landscape, but Luna led him without a word. They weaved through alleyways and tiny roads that Harry would never have noticed had it not been pointed out to him.

"You've been here before?" Harry asked suddenly.

Luna gave him a look that questioned his sanity, "This is the place where the development of the automatons had begun. _Of course_ I've been here, as has every other person of Ravenclaw. Knowledge has no biases."

Harry nodded sheepishly. The feud between Slytherin and Gryffindor was notorious. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs favoured neutrality, and wandered between all four nations with ease.

"We're here."

'Here' didn't look like much to Harry. It was the most decrepit-looking building Harry had seen since entering the city, and the damp passageway that was only barely visible didn't look like it had been used in years.

"Are you sure?"

"Would you prefer waltzing in through the front door and being killed on sight?"

Luna's look told Harry that the answer he was about to give her was the wrong one. Harry sighed as he entered the darkness, not entirely sure where he was supposed to be going or how he was supposed to be able to see anything. Luna, however, fished a torch out of a little bag that Harry could swear she hadn't been carrying before.

It felt like hours before they reached the end of the tunnel, and Harry's nerves were on the edge. Every small sound had been exacerbated within the tunnel; every kicked rock had sounded menacing, as if it would alert everyone in the building above them to their uninvited presence.

Harry ran into the light as he reached it, stumbling into a passing automaton in the moments it took his eyes to adjust to the new brightness.

"My apologies, sir," an automated voice responded immediately, before continuing on its way.

"Thankfully that wasn't one of the security bots, or you'd probably be joining Hermione and Ron. Very few people, even from within Salazar itself, are allowed within this building. It is-"

"My home," a voice behind them finished in an amused voice.

Harry felt Luna freeze beside him as she spun to face the unknown man. Harry didn't recognise him, but Luna clearly did.

"Mister Riddle, I-"

"No need to explain, Miss Lovegood. Your presence here speaks for itself."

Luna sighed, "We're looking-"

"For the pair that wandered in here weeks ago, correct?"

Luna nodded.

"They should be in the production room. The girl was fascinated with the creation and assembly of the automatons, a Ravenclaw if I'd ever seen one. I've heard she's devouring the library as well. The boy didn't look as enthused. If I would hazard a guess, he would need some saving," the man continued to talk even as he walked off. A small flying device walked after him, jotting down everything he said.

"He's in a good mood today, at least," Luna said, relief clear in her voice.

"Who was that?"

"The founder and creator of Voldemort: Tom Riddle."

"Isn't he said to be evil and insane, wanting only more power?"

"That's on a bad day. His moods tend to swing around a lot. I doubt he would have harmed you, though. Come, let's go find Hermione and Ron," Luna said, taking Harry's hand and dragging him down the corridor, several flights of stairs, and through several swinging doors, where Harry finally saw a familiar bush of brown hair.

"Hermione!"

She turned around. Harry vaguely noticed that there were streaks of oil along her forehead, and her eyes wore and excited look that Harry had almost never seen on her face before.

"Harry, you've got to save me. Hermione's gone mad," Ron said in greeting. "She's been taking these old machines apart for days, then putting them back together. If they don't work when she's done, she goes up to the library, and brings back about half of it before starting again!"

Luna smiled and patted Ron as she walked past him. Harry, being somewhat curious, followed her with Ron trailing behind him somewhat unwillingly.

"What are you working on?"

"The Basilisk 12 version 28. It was primarily an enforcer robot, a bit more advanced than the previous models, but I'm trying to add the healing component from the Common version 13. In theory, it should work, allowing the Basilisk to both attack and heal the injured, without needing two robots for that," Hermione said, a disgruntled look on her face. "It doesn't seem like it's able to carry both instructions as the same time, though. It follows either one or the other."

"See! She's been trying to get me to help for _days_ , but this stuff is ridiculous, and _Slytherin._ Hermione's _happy_ to be here despite knowing this!" Ron groused.

"I think our opinion of Slytherins have been skewered. I expected to have to break the two of you out," Harry said wryly. "Luna, you didn't explain earlier: who is Tom Riddle?"

"Didn't you know, Harry?" Hermione's gaze left the disassembled automaton in front of her, to look at him.

"Know what?" Harry asked, dread beginning to pool in his stomach at her expression.

"He's the one who designed and replaced your arm."

 **Written for Race To Space Prompt Challenge: sun dress**

 **Written for Little League: Gryffindor: Beater 2 [sci-fi]**


End file.
